Soltaniyeh Dome

Zanjan Province, Iran

The mausoleum of Ilkhanate ruler Öljaitü, featuring the largest brick dome ever constructed — a forerunner of the great domes of Brunelleschi in Florence and the Taj Mahal.

Historical Context

Öljaitü, a Mongol Ilkhan who converted to Islam, built the mausoleum as part of his new capital Soltaniyeh. He initially intended it as a shrine for the remains of Imam Ali and Imam Husayn, before using it as his own tomb. The city was largely abandoned after the dissolution of the Ilkhanate.